Reports
of Gang-Related Crime in Borough Cause Lock-Down at Princeton
High School

Candace Braun

A
string of crimes in the Borough that started last week and continued
through the weekend may be connected to a Princeton High School
student who has been the subject of threats from a Trenton-based
gang. On Monday PHS was put on lock-down, with six Borough Police
officers keeping watch around the school premises and removing
two students from school for questioning on the matter.

"Apparently
they were involved in an altercation in the last couple weeks,"
said Lt. Dennis McManimon of the Borough Police Department, who
said that while he was unable to confirm that the gang was related
to the nationally-known gang rivals, the Bloods and the Crips,
some were "doing the hand signals and making the noises"
associated with those two gangs, and "acting out in that
fashion" during an incident Sunday night involving a group
of teenagers.

The most recent report of a criminal act was
reported to Borough Police on Tuesday. A 22-year-old male resident
of the Borough, reportedly robbed and stabbed a week ago on John
Street, was initially reluctant to report the incident for fear
of reprisal, said police. The victim was approached by two individuals
described as "black males," who allegedly asked him
for money. When he told the men that he didn't have any he was
pushed to the ground and slashed across his right calf by a knife
or box cutter that the accused had hidden in his shirt sleeve.
The two men then left the scene and have not been identified.

The
gang-related incident in the Borough receiving the most attention
occurred at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday night, when Borough
Police responded to a call from the area of Bayard Lane and Hodge
Road, where a "large group of unruly youths" was said
to have been travelling in a pack and harassing children out trick-or-treating.
When approached by police, the group of approximately 50 youths
were "verbally abusive and were flashing gang signs at the
responding officers," said the police report. Police asked
for assistance from both Township and University officers to help
disperse the group.

Among the children who were harassed
was an 11-year-old who was knocked down and had his bag of Halloween
candy stolen on Paul Robeson Place. After the parent of the child
pointed out the youth who had committed the crime, the 16-year-old
Township resident was charged with robbery, resisting arrest,
and juvenile delinquency.

Joan Mueller, a Hodge Road resident
who was at home on Sunday to greet trick-or-treaters, first noticed
something was wrong when at approximately 7 p.m. the children
in the neighborhood abruptly stopped coming to her door. After
hearing a series of screams and shouts, she went to the window
to see several police cars surrounding a group of youths.

"It
really looked very serious. I've never seen so many cop cars in
one place," she said.

Later that same night, at 2:20
a.m., two Princeton residents fell victim to an assault on John
Street where the men, 29 and 24, were approached by two men who
directed gang-related slang at them, said a witness.

Adrian
McPherson, 19, of Clay Street, and James Kornegay, 20, of Leigh
Avenue, allegedly threatened the men with pit bulls. The threats
escalated into a physical confrontation, and the 29-year-old victim
was struck and knocked unconscious. The blow caused brain-related
injuries and he was rushed to the University Medical Center at
Princeton.

The victim remains in intensive care, where he's
"in pretty serious condition right now," said Lt. McManimon,
adding that police were told they would be unable to talk to the
victim for at least a week.

Mr. McPherson was arrested on
the scene and Mr. Kornegay fled, but was arrested on Monday.

On
Saturday night at midnight, Borough Police stopped a vehicle where
the two men inside were found to be in possession of heroin, marijuana,
a loaded .45 caliber handgun, ski masks, cash, and a police scanner
tuned to the Borough Police frequency. The driver was also found
to be intoxicated.

After giving false identities, the accused,
Michael Bess, 22, of Redding Circle, and Malcolm Glover, 24, of
Red Oak Row, were charged with possession of a weapon, possession
of heroin and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession
of a stolen handgun, hindering arrest, and DWI.

The two
were released on $25,000 bail.

A Student Death

The
string of crimes related to the Trenton gang began with an incident
at the end of September, when Jean Mario Israel, 19, a PHS student,
was shot in Trenton and died shortly thereafter. According to
Trenton police, he was said to be a member of the Bloods gang.
Later reports said that Arturo "Yukon" McKnight, 21,
a resident of Trenton and a Crips gang member, was arrested in
connection with the murder.

A funeral for the Lytle Street
resident was held on Friday, September 30, and was attended by
Princeton faculty, students, and some youths who were reportedly
dressed in gang-related clothing.

The lock-down at PHS was
removed after school on Monday, said Lt. McManimon, who was unaware
if the threatened student returned to school on Tuesday.

There
have been no further reports of injury to Princeton residents,
he said.

Any parent whose child was approached by the group
of youths on Halloween is asked to contact Sgt. Nicholas Sutter
at (609) 921-8108.